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31 May
2026
Permanant Senior Legal Counsel | Absa Vacancies
Job Description
Absa Vacancies – Senior Legal Counsel
Job Type: Full Time
Company: Absa Group
Senior Legal Counsel
The Senior Legal Counsel role sits within the CIB Legal Transactional Banking team and plays a critical part in identifying, managing, and mitigating legal risk across Pan Africa Cash Management operations. This position requires deep expertise in banking law, financial regulation, and transactional banking products, with a strong focus on payments, liquidity structures, cash management solutions, and digital banking platforms.
This is a high-impact legal role providing strategic and day-to-day legal guidance to business teams, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations while supporting innovation and commercial growth across multiple jurisdictions.
Key Responsibilities
Legal Risk Management
- Provide specialised legal advice across transactional banking and cash management activities.
- Identify, assess, and mitigate legal and regulatory risks across business operations.
- Advise on banking law, financial regulations, and National Payment System requirements.
- Support compliance with regulations governing payments, account structures, liquidity solutions, and digital banking.
- Monitor legal and regulatory developments, including digital assets and crypto-related regulations.
Business Advisory and Support
- Act as a trusted legal advisor to business stakeholders within Cash Management and related functions.
- Provide proactive legal input on product development, structuring, and implementation.
- Support day-to-day legal queries and ensure timely, practical legal solutions.
- Deliver training and guidance to internal teams on legal risks and compliance requirements.
- Add value to commercial discussions through sound legal and strategic input.
Leadership and Stakeholder Management
- Build and maintain strong relationships with internal business units and key stakeholders.
- Manage and oversee external legal counsel where required.
- Contribute to team objectives, strategy development, and execution.
- Work independently while providing guidance and supervision when necessary.
- Represent the legal function in internal and external engagements where appropriate.
Risk, Governance and Control
- Strengthen legal risk awareness across the business through policies and frameworks.
- Embed legal controls and compliance requirements into business processes.
- Collaborate with risk, compliance, and control functions to ensure alignment.
- Provide robust challenge and constructive legal input to business decisions.
- Contribute to the development of strong governance structures.
Commercial and Strategic Contribution
- Apply strong analytical and problem-solving skills to complex legal and commercial matters.
- Support cost-effective management of external legal spend.
- Contribute to industry forums, working groups, and professional networks.
- Participate in shaping legal and regulatory strategy within transactional banking.
- Ensure legal advice supports both compliance and business growth objectives.
Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing
- Collaborate across legal teams and business units across multiple geographies.
- Share expertise and contribute to continuous learning within the legal function.
- Support cross-functional initiatives and drive alignment across departments.
- Promote a culture of collaboration, accountability, and knowledge sharing.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB) or equivalent qualification.
- Honours degree or additional legal specialization will be advantageous.
- Admission as an attorney or advocate is preferred.
- Strong knowledge of South African banking law and financial services regulation.
- Deep understanding of transactional banking products and payment systems.
- Knowledge of digital banking platforms and emerging financial technologies.
Experience
- Extensive experience in banking law, financial services, or corporate legal advisory roles.
- Experience in transactional banking, cash management, or payments systems is essential.
- Strong exposure to regulatory frameworks such as the National Payment System.
- Experience dealing with complex legal and commercial structuring.
- Previous experience managing external counsel and multi-stakeholder engagements.
Skills and Competencies
- Strong analytical and critical thinking abilities.
- Excellent negotiation and communication skills.
- Ability to manage complex legal and regulatory environments.
- Strong business acumen with a commercial mindset.
- High attention to detail and risk awareness.
- Ability to work independently and under pressure.
- Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills.
- Ability to influence senior stakeholders effectively.
Professional Attributes
- Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving ability.
- High ethical standards and integrity.
- Proactive and solution-oriented approach.
- Strong collaboration and teamwork mindset.
- Ability to operate in a fast-paced, evolving regulatory environment.
What This Role Offers
- Opportunity to work on complex, high-value transactional banking matters.
- Exposure to pan-African legal and regulatory environments.
- Direct influence on business strategy and product development.
- Engagement with senior stakeholders across legal and business functions.
- A dynamic environment focused on innovation, compliance, and growth.
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